Black, Mexican American, and White Caregiver Practices to Prevent Challenging Behavior

Caregivers from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds perceive and work to prevent challenging behavior exhibited by their children with disabilities in various ways. However, limited research has been conducted with caregivers across racially and ethnically diverse groups, to explore the parenting practices and preventative strategies used with their young children with disabilities and challenging behavior. In this multimethod study, quantitative and qualitative data were collected from three racial and ethnic groups (i.e., Black, Mexican American, and White) to understand the participants’ parenting practices. Caregivers across groups shared similar experiences in implementing strategies that consistently prevented their children’s challenging behaviors. However, the perceived effectiveness of the strategies used by parents across racial and ethnic groups varied.